Rocker arm for internal-combustion engines



Dec. 14, 1965 J. R. WINTER, JR

ROCKER ARM FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 14, 1961 I O I m P P/YI/d".

1965 J. R. WINTER, JR 3,

ROCKER ARM FOR INTERNALGOMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Dec. 14, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /d j! //4 ma IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 14, 1965- ROCKER ARM FUR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES John R. Winter, .Ir., 4276 S. Shore Drive, Pontiac, Mich. Continuation of application Ser. No. 160,696, Dec. 14, 1961. This application June 3, 1964, Ser. No. 374,876 18 Claims. (01. 74 s19 This invention relates generally to improvements in the construction of rocker arms for internal combustion engines of the overhead valve type.

This application is a continuation of applicants copending application Serial No. 160,696, filed December 14, 1961, which latter application was a continuation-inpart of Serial No. 801,832, filed March 25, 1959, now abandoned.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a laminated rocker arm which includes improved means for securing the laminae together.

It has been a common practice to secure the laminae together in laminated rocker arms by welding. An example of such a rocker arm is shown in my prior Patent No. 2,509,661. However, many problems must be dealt with in the manufacture of arms in this manner. First of all, the only way effective quality control can be accomplished is to subject selected finished arms to load tests which determine whether or not the welds are of the required strength. Such a test always results in the destruction of the test arms. When an arm with a defective Weld is found, all of the arms welded in the machine between the time of the test which disclosed the defective arm and the preceding arm tested must be rejected. Secondly, the metal in a welded arm becomes embrittled and the arms are subject to some warping and deformation due to the heating involved in the welding step. Furthermore, the material from which the arms can be made is limited to weldable metals.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a rocker arm which overcomes the above disadvantages, is economically produced by mass production methods, and is capable of performing efliciently over a prolonged service life.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the rocker arm of this invention;

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views of the rocker arm of this invention looking along the lines 22, 33 and 4-4, respectively, in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4A is a sectional view looking along the line 4A4A in FIGURE 3 FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the stamping which is bent to form the rocker arm shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the rocker arm of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view looking substantially along the line 77 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view like FIGURE 7 of another modified form of the rocker arm of this invention;

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of a stamping which is bent to form another modified form of the rocker arm of this invention;

FIGURE 10 is an elevational view of still another modified form of the rocker arm of this invention;

FIGURE 11 is a transverse sectional view looking along the line 1111 in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary sectional view looking along the line 1212 in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 13 is a side view of a modified form of stud; and

FIGURE 14 is an elevational view of another form of stud.

With reference to the drawing, the rocker arm of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG- URE 1 as consisting of a body member 12 which is blanked and formed from a single piece of sheet metal, shaped and folded to provide two laminae 14 and 16 which are positioned side by side and flat against each other. The end portions 18 and 20 of the body 12 are overlapped at one end of the rocker arm, as shown in FIGURES l and 4A, in the attachment of the laminae 14 and 16. A loop 28 at this one end of the arm 10 receives a threaded stud 30 having a ball 31 at its lower end which is actuated by the push rod (not shown) in an internal combustion engine during use of the arm 10. A loop 22 formed at the opposite end of the arm 10 supports a push pin element 24 having a stem 26 received in a flexible press fit in the loop 22. The laminae 14 and 16 are held together at positions adjacent the loops 22 and 28 by pairs of bent tabs 32 and 34, respectively, which are integral parts of the body member 12 and extend around transversely opposite sides of the laminae.

In the manufacture of the arm 10, it is blanked from a single piece of sheet metal in the form illustrated in FIGURE 5. Hub receiving openings 36 are formed in spaced portions of the body 12 and the metal surrounding the openings 36 is drawn outwardly so as to form tubular supports for a tubular hub 40 which extends laterally through the arm 10 intermediate the ends thereof.

When the body member 12 is in the blank form shown in FIGURE 5, it is formed with a pair of grooves 44, each of which extends outwardly from one of the openings 36 and communicates with a notch formed in one edge 48 of the body member 12. When the body member 12 is bent to form the laminae 14 and 16, the grooves 44 cooperate to form an upright oil passage 46 for a purpose to appear presently.

When the body member 12 is in the blank form. shown in FIGURE 5, it is also swaged along the edge 48 so that when it is bent to form the laminae 14 and 16, V-shape oil supply grooves 49 and 511 are formed which are supplied with oil at their inner ends from passage 46 and function to direct this oil to the loops 22 and 28. Oil is supplied to the lower end of the loop 22 through a diagonal passage 51 located between the portions of the laminae 14 and 16 surrounded by the tabs 32. The passage 51 is formed by striking the blank shown in FIG- URE 5 so as to form a groove which extends between the oil supply groove 49 and the lower end of the loop 22 when the blank is folded to form the arm 101 At the opposite end of the body member 12 the oil travels through the supply groove under the top tab 34 to the upper end of the loop 28 for travel downwardly thereon to the lower end of the stud 30. The stud 39 is illustrated as being of the self-locking adjustable type which does not require a lock nut, since the threads on the screw are bulged outwardly or otherwise deformed to increase the friction between engaging threads. The tabs 34 hold the laminae so positively that this type of a stud can be used, thereby facilitating assembly of the stud and arm and making adjustment thereof easier as compared with a stud and lock nut combination. It was necessary to use this latter type of stud on prior arms in which the laminae were welded together because there was danger of a self-locking type stud loosening the weld.

It is very important that the laminae 14 and 16 be maintained in positions flat against each other, especially in the area of the hub 40, because if they are spaced at any point, the oil supply to the grooves 49 and 50 may be short circuited or may flow downwardly from the grooves 49 and 50 between the laminae before it reaches the loops 22 and 28 thereby interfering with the normal metered supply of -oil to the push pin element 24 and the threaded stud 30. The laminae 14 and 16 are formed by first bending the body member 12 when it is in the blank form shown in FIGURE 5, to form the loop 22, and the portions of the body member 12 adjacent the loop 22 are held tightly together so that the laminae 14 and 16 assume relatively diverging positions. The free ends of the laminae 14 and 16 are then forced inwardly toward each other and this action provides for a tight gengagement of the laminae 14 and 16 over their full lengths. The loop 28 is then formed at the opposite end of the body 12 so that the tabs 34 overlap the end portion 18 of the body member 12. The tabs 32 and 34 are then bent over the lamina 14 to the positions shown in FIGURE 1 to tightly clamp the ends of the laminae 14 and 16 tightly against each other and provide for a tight engagement of the portions of the laminae adjacent the hub 40. To facilitate bending of the tabs 32 and 34 they are scored, as indicated at 60 in FIGURE 5, at the juncture of each tab with the body member 12 and intermediate the ends of the tabs 32 and 34.

The location of the tabs 32 and 34 adjacent the loops 22 and 28 positively prevents spreading of the loops 22 and 28 when the push pin element 24 and the threaded stud 30 are inserted therein. Such an arrangement facilitates the desired flexible press fit of the stem 26 and the loop 22.

The rocker arm a shown in FIGURE 6 is similar in many respects to the arm 10 and like numerals are therefore used to indicate like parts on the arms 10 and 10a. In the arm 10a a loop 70 for supporting a stud 72 having a half-ball shape lower end 74 must be disposed so close to the hub 40, because of the location of the rocker arm supporting shaft and the rocker arm actuating push rod in the engine for the arm 10a, that there is insufficient space between the loop 70 and the hub 40 for transversely extending tabs like the tabs 34. In the arm 10a, therefore, the transversely extendingtabs 34 are omitted and a single longitudinally extending tab 76 is formed on the end of the lamina 16 and is bent over the adjacent end portion 78 of the'lamina 14, as shown in FIGURE 6, at the right hand end of the arm 10a. The body member 12 in the arm 10a is bent intermediate the hub 40 and the loop 22 to adapt it to an installation in which the valve stem and push rod are not in line with a diameter of the rocker arm supporting shaft.

In the rocker arm 10b shown in FIGURE 8, which is also similar to the arm 10 and therefore has like numerals indicating like parts on the arm 10, there is insufiicient space between the hub 40 and the loop 28 to accommodate tabs like the tabs 34. Because of space considerations, a longitudinally extending tab like the tab 76 cannot be disposed outwardly of the loop 28. In this case, therefore, a rivet 80, is utilized for connecting the laminae 14 and 16 at a position between the hub 40 and the loop 28. The arm 10b is, therefore, more expensive to manufacture than the arms 10 and 1011 because it involves a riveting step which is not involved in the manufacture of the arms 10 and 10a. However, the manufacture of the arm 10b does not involve any welding and is therefore advantageous from this standpoint.

FIGURE 9 illustrates a blank 90 for forming a rocker arm like the arm 10 but in which a push pin element like the element 24 shown in FIGURE 1 is formed as an integral part of the blank 90. A T-shape projection 91 on the blank 90 is bent so that the portion 92 thereof forms the push pin element. This portion 92 is heat treated to eliminate excessive wear in use. The projection 91 also has short and long tab portions 93 and 94, respectively, which are bent over the laminae 14 and 16, in the same manner that the tabs 32 are bent, to hold the laminae tightly together adjacent the loop 22.

In FIGURES 10-12, inclusive, another modified form of the rocker arm of this invention is illustrated and designated by the numeral 100. The arm is similar to the arm 10a in that it includes a body member 100 which is bent upon itself to form flat side by side laminae 102 and 104 and is formed with loops 106 and 108 at opposite ends of the arm. A longitudinally extending tab 110 is formed on one end of the body 100 and is bent laterally of the body into clamping engagement with the opposite end 112 of the body 100 at a position adjacent to and outwardly of the loop 108.

A long tab 114 extends transversely of the lamina 104 along the top side of the arm 100 over substantially the full distance between the loops 106 and 108 and is bent laterally of the body and downwardly into engagement with the lamina 102. A second smaller transversely extending tab 116 on the lamina 104 extends upwardly adjacent the loop 106 and third and fourth tabs 118 and 119 on the lamina 104 are bent over the lamina 102 and extend upwardly adjacent the bottom side of the hub 120. The tabs 110, 114, 116, 118 and 119 are bent into tight clamping engagement with the lamina 102 for holding the laminae 104 and 102 tightly against each other.

The tab 114 acts to reinforce the arm 10c so that it effectively resists bending forces in the plane of the laminae 102 and 104. These bending forces are the primary forces to which the arm 100 is subjected during use and are the forces which tend to make the arm 10c fail during use. The provision of the long tab 114 effectively reinforces the arm 100 so that it will resist failure due to these bending forces.

Inorder to supply metered lubricating fluid to the push pin element 122, which is supported in the loop 106, and the ball 124 at the lower end of the stud 126, which is supported in the loop 108, oil supply passages 128 and 130 are formed between the laminae 102 and 104 at positions on opposite sides of the hub 120. These passages 128 and 130 are formed by first punching or otherwise forming grooves in the body member 100 prior to bending the body member 100 upon itself. These grooves are formed so that they mate when the body member 100 is bent upon itself to form the laminae 102 and 104 and cooperate to form the passages 128 and 130. Lubricating fluid is supplied to the inner ends of these passages 128 and 130 from the supporting shaft for the rocker arm 10c and is pumped along the passages 128 and 130 to the near side of the loop 106 and the far side of the loop 108 where the fluid flows downwardly onto the push pin element 122 and the ball 124, respectively. Lubricating fluid under pressure is supplied to the arm 100 through a hole in the hollow supporting shaft therefor (not shown) and an opening 132 in the hub 120. The angular spacing between the hole and the opening is adjusted to provide for a flow of fluid in the desired amounts.

Referring to FIGURE 13, a modified form of stud 134 is shown and may be substituted for stud 126 of FIG- URES 10 and 12. The shank 136 of stud 134 has a groove 138 rolled or otherwise formed therein and this groove is aligned with passage 130 when the shank 136 is inserted into loop 108 to the position where shoulder 140 of stud 134 bears against the bottom of loop 108. In operation, groove 138 conducts oil from passage 130 to the passage 142 extending longitudinally along the inside of loop 108 and allows oil to feed onto the ballshaped end 143 of stud 134 to lubricate the same.

Referring to FIGURE 14, the stud 144 may also be substituted for stud 126 and comprises a shank 146, a ball-shaped end 148, and a shoulder 1S0 therebetween. A passage 152 is drilled or otherwise formed through shank 146 and is fixedly aligned with passage 130 and passage 142 by means of a wedgeshaped projection 156 formed integrally with stud 144 and which is inserted and frictionally retained partway into the passage 154 extending longitudinally along the inside of loop 108. In operation, passage 152 conducts oil from passage 130 to passage 142 from which it runs onto the end 148 of stud' 144 to lubricate the same. It is noted that passages 142 and 154 are formed during the die forming operation which forms the loop 108.

From the above description it is seen that this invention provides a rocker arm construction which completely avoids any welding and is very flexible to meet the rocker arm design reqirements of different engines.

Although the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited, since changes can be made therein which are within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rocker arm for an internal combustion engine or the like, said arm having end portions and a hub intermediate said end portions, an abutment portion carried by each of said end portions, whereby reciprocating motion is transmitted from one end of the arm to the other by rocking the arm about the hub, each of said abutment portions having one side farther from the hub than the other, an oil passage means carried by said arm providing oil conductive communication for delivery of oil from the interior of the hub to said one side of one of said abutment portions farther from the hub.

2. In a rocker arm for an internal combustion engine or the like, said arm having end portions and a hub intermediate said end portions, an abutment portion carried by each of said end portions, whereby reciprocating motion is transmitted from one end of the arm to the other by rocking the arm about the hub, each of said abutment portions having one side farther from the hub than the other, and oil passage means carried by said arm providing oil conductive communication for delivery of oil from the interior of the hub to said one side of one of said abutment portions farther from the hub including means for directing oil downwardly to said one of said abutment portions at said farther side thereof.

3. In a rocker arm for an internal combustion engine or the like, said arm having end portions and a hub intermediate said end portions, an abutment portion carried by each of said end portions, whereby reciprocating motion is transmitted from one end of the arm to the other by rocking the arm about the hub, each of said abutment portions having one side farther from the hub than the other, an oil passage means carried by said arm providing oil conductive communication for delivery of oil from the interior of the hub to said one side of one of said abutment portions farther from the hub including an oil passage extending generally in an up and down direction for directing oil substantially downwardly toward said one of said abutment portions at said farther side thereof.

4. In a rocker arm having end portions and a hub intermediate said end portions, at least one of said end portions being formed with a cavity spaced from the hub and extending in a generally up and down direction with respect to the arm, said cavity having one side farther from the hub than the other, abutment means tightly received in said cavity and also extending in said gener ally up and down direction, the lower end of said abutment means being adapted for engaging a reciprocating part of an engine, an oil passage means in said arm providing oil conductive communication for delivery of oil from the interior of said hub to the side of said cavity and abutment means farther from the hub.

5. In a rocker arm having end portions and a hub intermediate said end portions, at least one of said end portions being formed with a cavity spaced from the hub and extending in a generally up and down direction with respect to the arm, said cavity having one side farther from the hub than the other, abutment means tightly received in said cavity and also extending in said generally up and down direction, the bore end of said abutment means being adapted for engaging a reciprocating part of an engine, an oil passage means in said arm providing oil conductive communication for delivery of oil from the interior of said hub to the side of said cavity and abutment means farther from the hub including means for directing oil downwardly to said one of said abutment means at said farther side thereof.

6. In a rocker arm having end portions and a hub intermediate said end portions, at least one of said end portions being formed with a cavity spaced from the hub and extending in a generally up and down direction with respect to the arm, said cavity having one side farther from the hub than the other, abutment means tightly received in said cavity and also extending in said generally up and down direction, the lower end of said abutment means being adapted for engaging a reciprocating part of an engine, an oil passage means in said arm providing oil conductive communication for delivery of oil from the interior of said hub to the side of said cavity and abutment means farther from the hub including an oil passage extending in said generally up and down direction at said side of said cavity farther from the hub for communicating said cavity with the lower end of said abutment means and preventing discharge of oil outwardly away from said farther side.

7. The structure according to claim 1 in which the rocker arm is of laminated construction.

8. The structure according to claim 7 in which at least a portion of the oil passage means comprises an indentation in the inner side of at least one of the arm laminae.

9. A rocker arm construction for internal combustion engines comprising a sheet metal body member bent upon itself to form substantially identical laminae positioned side by side and loops at opposite ends of said arm integral with said laminae, said' laminae being formed with means providing for the formation of passages for fluid between said laminae when the laminae are positioned side by side in tight engagement with each other, said body member having a pair of overlapping ends adjacent one of said loops, first tab means formed integral with said body at one of said ends and bent over said opposite end for securing said ends together, and second tab means formed integral with one of said laminae adjacent the other one of said loops and bent over the other one of said laminae, said first and second tab means cooperating to maintain said laminae in sufficiently tight engagement with each other to prevent substantial leakage of fluid from said passages.

10. An engine rocker arm comprising a sheet metal body member bent upon itself to form a pair of laminae positioned side by side with their inner surfaces in tight engagement with each other, said body member having a hub portion extending transversely through an intermediate portion thereof and an opening for lubricant extending from said hub portion to an intermediate point in one edge face of said body member, fluid supply passages in said one edge communicating at their inner ends with said opening and at their outer ends with opposite ends of said arm, and tab members formed integral with one of said laminae and bent over the other laminae into engagement with the outer surface thereof for maintaining said laminae in sufficiently tight engagement to prevent flow of fluid out of said passages between said laminae.

11. An engine rocker arm comprising a sheet metal body member bent upon itself to form a pair of laminae positioned side by side with their inner surfaces in tight engagement with each other and article-supporting loops at opposite ends of said body member, said body member having a hub portion extending transversely through an intermediate portion thereof and an opening for lubricant extending from said hub portion to an intermediate point in one edge face of said body member, fluid supply passages in said one edge communicating at their inner ends with said opening and at their outer ends with said loops, and tab members formed integral with one of said laminae and bent over the other laminae into engagement with the outer surface thereof for maintaining said laminae in sufliciently tight engagement to prevent flow of fluid out of said passages between said laminae.

12. A rocker arm construction for internal combustion engines comprising a sheet metal body member bent upon itself to form flat laminae positioned side by side in tight engagement with each other, said body member being formed at opposite ends thereof with means for supporting a pair of bearing elements, said laminae being formed with means providing for the formation of passages for fluid between said laminae when said laminae are in tight engagement with each other for supplying fluid to said end supporting means, tabs formed integral with at least one of said laminae and bent into engagement with the other one of said laminae for maintaining them in a sufliciently tight engagement to prevent substantial leakage of fluid from said passages during travel of fluid therethrough, one of said tabs extending longitudinally of said body member at one end of one of said laminae and being bent into tight engagement with the outer surface of the adjacent end of the other one of said laminae, and another of said tabs extending transversely of said body member and being bent into tight engagement with the outer surface of the other one of said laminae, said last mentioned tab extending substantially the length of said arm between said supporting means.

13. A rocker arm construction for internal combustion engines comprising a sheet metal body member bent upon itself to form laminae positioned side by side in tight engagement with each other, said body member having a top edge and a bottom edge and being formed at opposite ends thereof with means for supporting a pair of bearing elements, said laminae being formed with means providing for the formation of passages for fluid between said laminae when said laminae are in tight engagement with each other for supplying fluid to said end supporting means, tabs formed integral with at least one of said laminae and bent into engagement with the other one of said laminae for maintaining them in a sufliciently tight engagement to prevent substantial leakage of fluid from said passages during travel of fluid therethrough, one of said tabs extending longitudinally of said body member at one end of one of said laminae and being bent into tight engagement with the outer surface of the adjacent end of the other one of said laminae, and another of said tabs extending transversely of said body member and being bent into tight engagement with the outer surface of the other one of said laminae, said last mentioned tab extending substantially the length of said arm along the top edge thereof between said supporting means.

14. A rocker arm structure including a hub and a laminated arm portion extending therefrom and terminating in a supporting portion, oil feed means for conveying lubricating oil from the hub to the top side of said arm portion, said top side having oil groove means therein for conducting oil from said feed means to said supporting portion, and a tab member on one of the laminae for said armportion bridging the top side of said oil groove 'means and embracing another one of said laminae for holding said laminae in fluid-tight engagement and providing for oil flow under said tab member in said oil groove means.

15. A laminated rocker arm structure comprising a pair of sheet metal laminae having ends, means including a groove in the top edge of said structure for con veying lubricant to said ends, a securing tab on one lamina adjacent each of said ends extending over the top of said edge and embracing the other lamina, and a downwardly inclined channel between said laminae at one of said ends communicating at its upper end with said groove and at its lower end with one of said laminae ends.

16. A laminated rocker arm structure comprising a pair of sheet metal laminae having ends, means including a groove in the top edge of said structure for conveying lubricant to said ends, a securing tab on one lamina adjacent each of said ends extending over the top of said edge and embracing the other lamina, and a downwardly inclined channel between said laminae at one of said ends communicating at its upper end with said groove and at its lower end with one of said laminae ends, the groove at the opposite one of said laminae ends extending under the tab adjacent thereto.

17. A rocker arm structure including a hub and laminated arm portions extending in opposite directions therefrom, hearing members carried by the terminal ends of said arm portions, lubricating means including internal channels formed by grooves in the inner faces of the laminae which form said arm portions, means for securing said laminae together and substantially sealing said channel walls, said means including tabs on one of said laminae bent into embracing relation with the other one of said laminae, some of said tabs being adjacent said hub and others adjacent said bearing portions.

18. A rocker arm structure including a hub and a laminated arm portion having top and bottom edges and extending longitudinally of the arm structure in opposite directions from said hub, bearing members carried by said arm portions adjacent the ends thereof, said laminae being formed with means providing for the formation of passages for fluid extending from said hub to said bearing members, means for securing said laminae together in a fluid-tight relation so as to prevent substantial leakage of fluid from said passages, said means including a plurality of tab members on one of said laminae bent into embracing relation with the other one of said laminae, some of said tabs being adjacent said hub, another one of said tabs extending longitudinally of the arm structure at one end of one of said laminae and being bent into tight engagement with the outer surface of the adjacent end of the other one of said laminae at a position outwardly from said hub on the opposite side of one of said bearing members, and another one of said tabs extending transversely of said arm structure and being bent intotight engagement with the outer surface of the other one of said laminae, and said last mentioned tab extending substantially the length of said laminae along the top edge'thereof between said bearing members.

No references cited.

BROUGHTON G. DURHAM,-Primary Examiner. P. w. SULLIVAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROCKER ARM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OR THE LIKE, SAID ARM HAVING END PORTIONS AND A HUB INTERMEDIATE SAID END PORTIONS, AN ABUTMENT PORTION CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID END PORTIONS, WHEREBY RECIPROCATING MOTION IS TRANSMITTED FROM ONE END OF THE ARM TO THE OTHER BY ROCKING THE ARM ABOUT THE HUB, EACH OF SAID ABUTMENT PORTIONS HAVING ONE SIDE FARTHER FROM THE HUB THAN THE OTHER, AN OIL PASSAGE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARM PROVIDING OIL CONDUCTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR DELIVERY OF OIL FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE HUB TO SAID ONE SIDE OF ONE OF SAID ABUTMENT PORTIONS FARTHER FROM THE HUB. 